County fumes over lost disaster relief, hopes for reconsideration

CAPITOLA -- Local officials fumed Wednesday over the Federal Emergency Management Agency's denial of a $44.5 million federal disaster request, a move that could end up leaving potholes unfilled across the county.

Several local officials as well as state and federal lawmakers voiced their unhappiness with the decision, which came Tuesday in the form of a letter from FEMA director W. Craig Fugate. Santa Cruz County took the brunt of the storms, with $12 million estimated damage in unincorporated areas and the city of Capitola suffering another $1.5 million hit when a pipe burst beneath Pacific Cove Mobile Home Park.

In total, there was an estimated $17 million in damage countywide.

"That is a monumental disappointment," said an ashen John Presleigh, the county's Public Works director, on Wednesday.

Federal assistance would have covered 75 percent of the damage. But the county also was denied the state's portion of disaster relief; though Gov. Jerry Brown declared an emergency, the California Emergency Management Agency did not release the funds that customarily come with such pronouncements.

That could put the county out millions for repairs, just as it is trying to close a $14.7 million budget deficit. Local damage estimates exceed the county's annual road maintenance budget, and could force the cash-strapped county to decide whether to fix the storm damage and postpone road resurfacing or pothole-filling projects.

"We're going to have to go find grants," Presleigh said. "It's going to take years to get it fixed."

Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel, and Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, criticized the decision and urged Brown to appeal the decision. The state has 30 days from Tuesday's decision to do so.

Jay Alan, communications director for CalEMA, said no decisions have been made on either an appeal or whether the state would reconsider its decision not to release its own disaster funds.

"We're looking at all the options, and that includes appeals," Alan said.

A series of March storms resulted in widespread landslides and washouts, and a massive rockslide has residents of Nelson Road just outside Scotts Valley using a temporary bypass. In its denial letter, FEMA said the storms were separate events that did not meet the agency's $44 million threshold for disaster funds.

While the FEMA request included preliminary funds to study moving the rockslide, the county would have to come up with more money to move the slide. Early estimates put the cost at $2.6 million, though Supervisor Mark Stone said the county likely won't know the actual cost until the end of summer.

No elected official can force the disaster agencies to change their minds, but Stone said he wants as many as possible to use their positions to urge a reconsideration.

"The more political pressure we can apply, the better," Stone said.

Stone was critical of state Sen. Sam Blakeslee, who represents the eastern part of the county. Stone said the county called to ask for help with the request, but the response since then has been "bupkis."